Authors: Kate Aster
Maeve fell silent, staring blankly at
random reflections dancing in her glass of Pinot Grigio as she distilled the
information.
In a daze, she politely dabbed the sides
of her mouth with her napkin. “You’ll excuse me. I have to check my lipstick.”
Pregnant.
The word hovered in the air, thick and smothering,
nearly causing Maeve to gasp for breath as she made her way across the bar.
Bess is pregnant? It made perfect sense. She
should have figured it out a long time ago.
Bess. Pregnant.
How was Maeve going to stand that? Living
under the same roof with the one thing she desperately wanted and could not
have. She had the world convinced she disliked children—that she’d never lose
precious sleep for late-night feedings or tolerate a minefield of Fisher-Price
toys on her antique Aubusson rug.
But it was a lie—one that was easier
to live with than the truth.
The restroom door creaked open and the
stench of sickness struck her. Lacey was holding back Bess’s hair as she
emptied her stomach, apologizing profusely in between each heave.
Maeve covered her mouth, flashbacks to her
party years in college making her feel even worse. She glanced away. “Is there
anything I can do?”
Bess collapsed on the bathroom floor. She
shook her head weakly.
Maeve forced herself to touch Bess’s
shoulder. “This is all my fault. You said you didn’t want to come and I forced
you. I’m so sorry. God, you were napping.” Maeve suddenly saw another clue she
had so easily dismissed just hours earlier. “I should have left you alone.”
“It’s not your fault. There was just
something about those oysters.”
Maeve tried to ignore the dirt on the
floor as she sat on the floor next to them. “Bess, are you—maybe—pregnant?”
Lacey jerked her head to look at Maeve,
realization dawning in her eyes.
Bess, already pale, turned at least three
shades lighter. “Eleven weeks,” came her mumbled response.
“Wow.” Lacey let out a slow breath.
Bess shook her head, in obvious despair. “I’m
sorry. I really should have told you before I moved in. I won’t have to stay
much longer, and I promise I’ll be out before the baby comes.”
Lacey shot Maeve a look of panic, and
received an almost imperceptible shake of the head in return.
Maeve tried to sound annoyed. “Out? Out
where? Unless you have someplace better to go, you’re sure as hell are not
sticking me with an empty room. It’s hard finding renters.”
Lacey smiled. “Maeve’s right. We’re not
letting you go anywhere.”
Tears came pouring down Bess’s face.
“And when the baby comes,” Maeve dared
herself to continue, “we’ll figure something out. Hell, I was thinking about
getting a dog anyway. It can’t be too much more trouble than a dog, right?”
***
A brisk breeze hinted of autumn as Mick
and Lacey walked along Ego Alley to the water taxi port with bags in hand. Lacey
glanced down at the shopping list that Jack had written for them. “The only
thing they didn’t have was graham crackers,” Lacey noted, wondering if they
should have gone straight to a grocery store, rather than dropping into the
small apothecary just off Main Street.
“It’s not that late. We’ll drop these off
first and if he really thinks she needs graham crackers, we’ll go out again,”
he offered easily, his head tilting as he looked at Lacey. “Are you okay?”
Lacey smiled self-consciously. “I’m fine. It’s
just a lot to take in, I guess.” Downtown Annapolis was alive this cool
Saturday night, crowded with an eclectic mix of overdressed tourists,
midshipmen, and locals hopping in and out of shops and restaurants. Noticing
couples walking hand in hand, she felt a tug of longing. She fidgeted with the
list in her hands. “You know, I have to hand it to Jack. I somehow admire any
man who can suggest stool softeners for a woman without even blinking.”
Mick laughed. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
“How do you think he knows so much about
pregnancies?”
“Well, four sisters. I guess he’d hear
plenty.”
Lacey picked up her pace to keep up with
Mick’s long, causal strides. “He seemed to really want to go back to Maeve’s
and to make sure Bess was all right.”
“Uh, I think that had more to do with
Maeve than Bess. Unmistakable chemistry there.”
“You noticed, too?”
“Hell. Everyone in the bar noticed. He just
didn’t want to leave her company.”
“Well, thanks for offering to pick this
stuff up with me and take me home.”
“Maybe I just didn’t want to leave
your
company.” His eyes sparked with mischief.
Lacey grinned, helpless against his charm.
As they squeezed onto a park bench at the water taxi port, she savored the feel
of his body where it pressed against hers. She desperately wanted to lean
closer, to be closer, to feel the warmth of his lips and his chest pressed
against her.
A furnace igniting inside of her, she
remembered the feel his solid arms around her, lifting her, that first day they
met. The sensation of his fingers in her hair. His light touch on her cheek. She
ached for that moment again, only this time, she wanted it naked, skin-to-skin,
his mouth on hers.
Squeezing her eyes shut, she tried to calm
her senses, but to no avail. Every part of her seemed somehow more alive just
being close to him.
A small, brightly lit boat docked in front
of them.
Mick extended his hand to help Lacey down
the narrow stairs that led onto the boat. Her heel caught, and she stumbled
into Mick. His grip was firm on her arms, and they froze, their mouths only
inches apart. The feel of his warm breath caressing her lips sent shivers down
her spine. Paralyzed in his gentle hold, she couldn’t tear her eyes from his.
“
Excuse
me!” An impatient tourist
anxious to board the water taxi behind them broke the spell that seemed to have
been cast on Lacey.
Mick shot Lacey an amused look and
whispered in her ear, “Damn tourists.”
They eased into their seats, side by side,
and watched the image of downtown Annapolis fade into the distance. The taxi
motored along, dodging in and out of moorings that bobbed on the water. His arm
pressing against hers again, she could feel the tension in his muscles. Such
power in this man, she pondered, wondering what it would feel like to have that
power inside of her. She felt herself grow wet at the idea, and the heat
between her thighs ached for his touch.
“So, how do you feel about having a baby
in the house?” Mick’s attempt at small talk was just the cold shower Lacey
needed.
Feeling her temperature drop to normal, Lacey
pursed her lips together thoughtfully. “I haven’t even had time to digest the
idea. It’s just something we’ll deal with together, I guess.”
“Do you want to have kids of your own?”
“Me?” Lacey shifted in her seat, enjoying
the way her thigh pressed against his in the act. “Well, I’d like to get my
career on track first. But maybe. How about you?”
“It’s a possibility,” he answered
noncommittally.
A sudden cold gust of wind had Lacey
impulsively snuggling closer, stealing his heat. She glanced up, almost in apology,
and a lock of hair blew across her eyes. As Mick lifted his hand to put the
lock in its rightful place, his hand caressed her cheek.
His light touch was all the encouragement
she needed. Without thinking—
finally
, without thinking—she
leaned in, raising her mouth to his in silent plea. Go ahead, her heart
whispered as the warmth of his lips met hers, gently at first, then with a
searing passion.
Tilting her head, she savored him,
breathing in his musky scent. Her hands splayed across his chest, stroking the
rippling muscles. Half-growling in response, he pulled her onto his lap, and
she felt the sweet pressure of his erection against the seat of her capris.
The heat between them radioactive, his
grip tightened, his hands immersed in her hair. Her pulse raced at the feel of
his chest and arms enveloping her, consuming all her senses. She opened her
lips, full of wanting, her mouth fierce upon his.
Tasting him, she was desperate now,
silently requesting—no, demanding—that they take the next step. She
needed to feel him on her, inside of her. She needed it more than any damn real
estate listing.
Her mouth devoured him, sending every
signal she knew to tell him:
Now. Take me now. Anywhere. Anyhow you please
.
His breathing ragged, he traced the line
of tender skin at the base of her neck downward to her back, and then grasped
her arms like he would never let go.
Their port coming into view, the water
taxi’s horn blew. Mick inhaled sharply at the intrusion and he drew back suddenly
from Lacey.
“What?” Lacey asked in a frantic hush,
shattering inside from the parting of their flesh.
“I’m sorry.” He let out a muffled string
of curses. “You laid out the rules, and I slipped.
Damn
, you just look
so gorgeous tonight.”
“But I—”
“No. I really am sorry.” His voice adamant,
he forced a laugh, glancing down at the strappy sandals that Maeve had traded
with Lacey earlier that evening. “Happens every time you wear heels.”
“Maybe I should wear heels more often,
then.”
Her comment made Mick gnash his teeth. “Great
friend I am. Give a girl a couple glasses of wine, ask her if she wants to have
kids, then move in for the kill. Talk about sending the wrong signals.”
“That’s not what happened, Mick.”
“Look, Lacey, I am obviously attracted to
you. But if you’re going to break your rule about men right now, you should
probably do it with someone who can offer you some kind of a future.”
“What do you mean?”
“I won’t be staying here. I fully intend
to go back to the SEALs when I’m done with this tour. That means I’ll be headed
to San Diego and then overseas. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I don’t think
you’re looking for a relationship that has an expire date.”
Lacey bit her lip uneasily, desperately
wanting to lie. If she could just enjoy the passion, with no thoughts of
tomorrow. But she could lose her heart to a man like Mick. And then she’d lose
him, too.
The silence between them was almost
painful. “You’re right,” she finally admitted.
They stared out at the water blankly as the
boat approached the dock.
Lacey let out a slow breath. “So you’ll
never settle down? You know, down the road?”
Mick shook his head. “Not while the SEALs
are still a part of my plans, anyway. Some guys do fine in the field, in
combat, knowing they have a wife and child waiting for them at home. But I’m not
one of them. As a single man, I can focus on the mission. I can put myself in
harm’s way without thinking twice. I don’t know if I could do that if I was
remembering the family I left behind.”
Lacey saw the irony. “Distractions. Yeah,
that’s just what I was talking about avoiding in my career right now, too. We’re
in the same boat.” She raised her eyebrows at their surroundings. “No pun
intended.”
Mick nodded in accord as they arrived with
a gentle thud against the dock. He sent her a feisty smile as he offered her
his hand to disembark. “If you are ever looking for just mindless sex with no
strings attached, you’ll call me first, though, right?”
She laughed. “You’ll be the first call I
make.”
Since becoming a real estate agent, Lacey
could not help feeling as though some houses had souls. Not all, of course. The
houses she and her sister shared as they grew up each held good memories, but
had an emptiness, as though they were still shells waiting for the right owner
to fill them with warmth.
But there was a different quality about
some—like the simple waterfront Cape Cod once owned by Maeve’s
grandparents. The house seemed to glow when it was filled with laughter.
Sitting on the back porch with her
housemates, along with Mick and Jack adding to the atmosphere, Lacey felt as
though the little house was sighing with contentment down to its very
foundation.
The sun had long set beneath the blue
horizon and its warm rays were replaced the by hypnotic chirping of crickets. Maeve’s
little piece of waterfront was heaven on fall nights like this, and Lacey felt
remarkably lucky to call this place home, even for a short while in her life.
Lucky, despite the pathetic assortment of
letters that were staring at her, which included one sorry Q with a U nowhere
to be found. Why had she voted for Scrabble tonight rather than Monopoly?
Mick was looking intense as he eyed the
game board. Apparently, he approached board games with the ferocity of going to
battle. There was no such thing as friendly competition for a hardened SEAL.
Sometimes when their eyes met, Lacey could
still feel the warmth of his lips on hers when the memory of their kiss on the
water taxi came washing over her like a gentle fall breeze. Each of them had
accepted the boundaries of their friendship, but flirtation was unavoidable and
sometimes unbearable. An electric current sparked between them every time they
touched, even in the most casual way.